Most people probably wish they ate a little healthier. While excuses are a plenty, new food delivery service Cadence Kitchen Meals is turning ‘I should be eating better’ into ‘I am eating better’ with its convenient, healthful fare.
Behind the meals is registered dietitian Lori Nedescu. She would tell clients over and over again they needed a healthier diet – they knew they needed to eat better – but there was a disconnect in making it happen.
“I just couldn’t ignore the need,” Nedescu says. “There are so many people that want to eat good food and should be eating good, healthful meals.”
But whether it’s a lack of time or know-how, “I really wanted to close that gap,” Nedescu explains.
Cadence Kitchen Meals offers a rotating menu of seasonal dishes, using local ingredients when possible.
“The meals are definitely designed to be balanced and very colorful and vibrant and energizing,” Nedescu says.
Meals are plant-based, built around fresh produce, healthy grains or potatoes and some form of protein. Protein might be animal or other, some meals include dairy, but all are gluten-free.
“They are really designed to be pretty,” Nedescu says.
She explains that people are visual creatures. Having a vibrant plate of food put in front of a person might lead to some inspiration, both in combos one wouldn’t think to try and in pushing the boundaries of palates.
“Beautiful food can be very healthy for our bodies,” Nedescu says.
Cadence Kitchen Meals whips up dishes like the summer salad – salmon, roasted corn, a variety of greens and seasonal berries, topped with coconut lime dressing – or sesame noodles – noodles tossed with a rainbow of veggies, chicken and a light sesame dressing.
Ordering is handled online. Cadence Kitchen Meals offers the option of a sample meal to give things a test-run, then meals are ordered in one week, five-meal increments, or a month’s worth for a price break. The food delivery service also offers custom plans to fit certain dietary restrictions and delves into options for big groups or things like workplace lunches.
Nedescu largely handles delivery on a case-by-case basis to ensure somebody is available to pick up the meals.
An athlete herself – marathons and road cycling are her thing – Nedescu feeds other athletes, and “Anyone who is very go, go, go, who wants to put some more focus on their personal wellness, that wants to eat better, that knows they should eat better,” she says.
Nedescu adds that Cadence Kitchen Meals can be a good introduction to healthy eating while letting somebody else do most of the work. Since it’s more of a one meal a day option, customers can swap out one of their current meals for at least one healthy bet.
Finding The Commissary helped put Cadence Kitchen Meals in motion.
“The whole concept has always been in my mind but it’s kind of difficult to take an idea and put it into reality,” Nedescu says, especially with the regulations surrounding food-based businesses.
The commercial kitchen space helped her get started with all the proper licensing and health classes, and also connected her to a network food producers full of tips and information.
For more information, visit cadencekitchenmeals.com.
Photos via Cadence Kitchen Meals website.
Want to see Cadence Kitchen Meals in action? Join The Metropreneur’s sister-site Columbus Underground at Healthy Bites at the Columbus Museum of Art on July 29. Cadence Kitchen Meals will be providing on site food demos of quick and healthy meals. Click here for more information and to buy tickets!
